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Pool Friendly Fashion

By Carleenp · Comments (0)

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Don’t Sacrifice Fashion at the Pool

A trip to the pool doesn’t need to be fraught with anxiety. This season’s hot new trends in swim wear accessories yield a variety that should complement every poolside sunbather’s style.

One of the more surprising hits of this season, along with the monokini and fringe-laden bikinis, is the chic and slightly throwback style of high-waisted bikini bottoms. The modern take on this vintage style is accented with clever contours to complement the wearer’s waistline. The top that goes with these bottoms can vary from standard bikini top to a halter style.

No matter what type of suit you choose, and regardless of whether you are strolling along the shoreline at one of your favorite beaches or are lounging at one of your friends’ above ground pools, you want to make your swim wear pop all summer long. How does one bring the heat while trying to cool down? Accessories, accessories and more accessories. By adding the right shoes, wraps and even jewelry, you can get the most mileage out of any style of swimsuit you may choose.

Kick up Your Heels When You’re Not in the Water

There is no rule that your pool shoes cannot be both functional and fashionable. By finding the right shoes to complement your swimsuit as well as keeping your feet happy, you will flaunt your style with ease and grace. You can select neutral chic wedges of varying heights or a flat flip-flop with a flower embellishment. A pair of classic, bejeweled slip-on sandals go a long way in supporting your pedicured feet on a hot summer’s day. If you like simple swim suits, select bright sandals or adorned wedges to add some excitement to your beach look.

Keep Your Swimwear Sassily Under Wraps

While it is wonderful to showcase your snazzy new swimsuit at the pool or the beach, there are times when an attractive cover up can come in handy. When taking a trip to the bar for your favorite beach cocktail, it is nice to slip on your shoes and a wrap in your favorite material – cotton, chiffon or even canvas are all popular looks – to make your way. You can choose cover ups for the top portion of your body or merely over your swimsuit bottoms. A slightly sheer tunic is a hot look this year that covers your body but still gives a sexy look. If you like a colorful look, consider a cotton patterned wrap. Avoid stripes if you are curvier; plus, bold, block patterns are more in style this season. Whichever style wrap you choose, make sure it complements your overall beach look. You don’t want to clash when you are trying to look your best in the summer weather.

Highlight Your Best Attributes with Sparkling Jewelry

Whether your taste in jewelry is simple, elegant or you prefer something brimming with bangles or beads, there is certainly something that will help you sparkle under the rays of the sun. While metal jewelry is in this season, consider going with a thin chain or earrings rather than a bulky necklace. Though chunky gold necklaces look great on the runway, they can get hot in the sun. They also leave unwanted tan lines. Consider bright, jeweled earrings to set off the color of your suit or thin gold chains for a classy look!

Pool and Beach Ready

Now that you have the fundamentals in order to shimmer at the pool, it’s time to head on out and enjoy the water and the sunshine while you make your own splash. There’s no need to overthink your suit style this year. Pick something simple and dress it up for the perfect 2012 beach style!

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter

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Categories : Bling, Fashion, Swimwear

Tags : Fashion, Swimwear

Five Steps to Clear Up Your Sensitive Skin Naturally

By Carleenp · Comments (0)

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Sensitive skin doesn’t respond to the same skin care regimen as everyone else, does it? Many of the products on the market today that are marked as hypoallergenic aren’t safe for sensitive skin because of some of the ingredients they contain and a lot of the mainstream regimens aren’t good for sensitive skin either. What can you do to clear up your skin if your skin is sensitive? Thankfully, there are steps you can take to clear up your skin naturally without spending a lot of money or time doing so.

Five Steps to Clear Your Skin

1) Hydrate Your Skin – Drink Water

It seems like such a simple thing to do, but this is a key step that many people overlook when they are looking for answers to achieving clear skin. Anyone who desires clear, healthy, and glowing skin needs to drink at least 8 to 9 eight-ounce glasses of water per day to get the benefits of hydrated and beautiful skin.

2) Change Up Your Diet

The foods you eat really do make a difference in how your skin looks! Simply by eliminating or cutting back on some of the foods in your daily diet can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin.
What foods should you avoid or cut back on?

Processed foods
Refined sugar
Gluten and wheat
Chocolate
Caffeine – coffee and soft drinks
Carbohydrates
Foods high in fat and salt
Drinks high in sugar

What should you eat?

Whole, raw fruits and vegetables
Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids
Organic foods whenever possible
Lean meats
Legumes

3) Adopt a Healthy Skin Care Regimen

Taking proper care of your sensitive skin must be done daily. You need to cleanse, tone, moisturize, and protect yourskin with products that are truly hypoallergenic and safe.

4) Choose Truly Hypoallergenic Products

Even products that are marketed as safe for sensitive skin can contain ingredients that are harsh and unsafe for our type of skin. Check the ingredient list to make sure it doesn’t contain things like parabens, salicylate acid, fragrance, and petroleum ingredients, to name a few.

5) Get Natural Skin Care at Home

There are a lot of products you have right in your own pantry or refrigerator that you can use to clear up your skinnaturally and keep it looking great. Take some time to research natural beauty recipes for your sensitive skin – you may be surprised at what you can find. It’s an inexpensive way to treat your skin well and achieve clear, beautiful skin.

Sensitive Skin Can Be Beautiful

Healthy clear skin is possible! It’s a matter of changing your lifestyle just a bit in the area of diet and skin care, but the changes are well worth the reward of beautiful skin!

Truly, the changes you’ll make in lifestyle for your skin will benefit your entire body and overall health too, which is a good thing, right?
Adopting a balanced diet, drinking water, and paying attention to what you put on your skin are all steps that will benefit you not only in the short term, but in the years to come as well.

MRochell is the the creator of www.MySensitiveSkinCare.com which offers a free eBook on safe, natural solutions to rosacea, skin care tips and other chronic skin problems. Get update from http://www.facebook.com/mysensitiveskincare

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Categories : Skin

Tags : Skin Care

Change Family Heirlooms into Trendy Fashion Pieces

By Carleenp · Comments (0)

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Passed down from generation to generation in your family, heirlooms have sentimental and historical value. They remind you about past family members who you may have never met and the type of influence they had on the entire family that shaped who you are today.

Family heirlooms are slowly making their way into the latest fashion trends. Instead of having that heirloom stuffed in a box in the attic as it gathers dust, why not incorporate it into what you’re wearing today? It gives new life to your heirloom, shows how much you honor and care about your family and adds eye-popping appeal to your clothing.

What’s Considered A Family Heirloom?

A family heirloom is anything that’s been saved by an ancestor as it’s passed down from parent to child for generations. The item can be handmade or have a unique quality the ancestor believed could be of monetary value in future years. Common types of heirlooms include:

· Coins: rare coins no longer minted, silver coins, gold coins, collector’s coins

· Jewelry: pendants, brooches, gemstones, necklaces, cameos, wedding and engagement rings, religious jewelry such as rosaries and Jesus fish

· Photographs: family photos, war photos, special event photos

· Letters and Documents: love letters, official government documents, long-distance letters, war documents, maps, manuscripts

· Clothing and Fabric: handcrafted quilts, Oriental rugs, wedding dresses, drapery, knitted scarves, crocheted crafts

Types of Heirlooms Used For Fashion Statements

Jewelry

Jewelry is the most common family heirloom used as a fashion statement. Often, you only have to change the jewelry’s setting if it’s tarnished or broken. You can easily change a ring into a necklace, a pendant into a ring and a brooch into a hairpin.

By removing gems from jewelry, you can have them placed into the new metal setting of your choice. You can also take metal jewelry such as a Jesus fish and place it into a brooch to make a trendy fashion statement.

Coins

Ever thought of replacing those missing buttons on your jacket with small coins? Coins can be added as decorations on purses or as cuff buttons on men’s shirts. Coins can also be used as jewelry accessories like brooches and pendants.

To mount coins on fabric, the best way is to create holes through the surface and sew the coin in place. Carefully decide on which coins you want changed as not to ruin those that have a monetary value.

Fabric and Clothing

If you have the sewing skills and the time, you can take old family heirlooms of fabric and clothing and change them into fashionable dresses and shirts. The latest fashion trends of the season are bold colors, pastels and crochet pieces. Quilts, crocheted shirts and wedding gowns that were family heirlooms can be combined with vivid fabrics to make unique casual and eveningwear.

Before Changing Family Heirlooms into Fashion Statements

You’re probably now excited to dig through those boxes in your grandmother’s attic to find family heirlooms and change them into unique fashion statements. But before you do this, make sure other family members are fine with the planned changes you’ll make. Resentment and hard feelings can last a lifetime when people squabble over family heirlooms, so get the okay from everyone first.

You’ll also need to find out if the items have any monetary value. Jewelry and coins can become devalued if the settings are changed or the surface is marked. Contact a reputable jeweler or coin appraiser to study the item to determine its value.

Make a Trendy Appearance

Giving new life to a family heirloom can honor the memories of loved ones who are no longer with you. These heirlooms are to be enjoyed by family members, not sit in a box gathering dust. If you can change a family heirloom so it can bring happiness to yourself and to future family members, making the heirloom into a fashion statement is a worthy endeavor.